Media release - 27 July 2017

Promoting gender equality and social inclusion in agricultural research in Vietnam

Hanoi, 27 July 2017 – Today the Australian Government launched an 18-month project called “Integrating gender and social inclusion into agricultural value chain research in Vietnam”.

The project will support integration of gender analysis and social inclusion concepts into agricultural value chain research in Vietnam. Farming systems and agricultural supply chains in Vietnam and throughout South-East Asia are undergoing rapid changes, including increased levels of commercialisation and market integration, increased women’s participation and migration of youth. These changes present unique challenges for ethnic minority communities living in disadvantaged areas, including mountainous regions. Failure to consider the impact of gender norms, roles and intersectional social relationships on smallholder’s decisions, risks both poor adoption of technological innovations and increased gender inequality.

This project aims to address gendered social constraints to both men and women, especially in ethnic minority groups. It will increase adoption of modern technologies for more sustainable farming and enhance inclusive value chains. The project is also expected to create an evidence base for gender research, capacity building and networking for agricultural scientists in Vietnam and the region.

Project leader, Dr Nozomi Kawarazuka (CIP), said “Agricultural research has long focused on technological development while the different practical interests of men and women and the social and gender constraints they face are rarely considered. This project seeks to contribute to developing more inclusive agricultural interventions that support women and marginalized social groups”.

While many gender networks exist in the world, researchers in South-East Asia have been struggling to apply models and tools developed in other regions. Ms Nguyen Thi Le Hoa (Deputy Country Director, Oxfam in Vietnam) said: “There is a need to establish a gender platform as a knowledge hub for South-East Asia to facilitate the dissemination and application of relevant knowledge”.

The project is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), in line with the “Australia in Vietnam Gender Equality Strategy 2016- 2020”. It will work across 10 ACIAR projects focusing on value chains in Vietnam and South‑East Asia with total investment of AUD17 million (VND289 billion). It is implemented by the International Potato Center (CIP) and three partner organisations: Institute of Social Development Studies (ISDS), Care International in Vietnam, and Oxfam in Vietnam.